


We Loved, Once

by Leonidas1754



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bard Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Multi, Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), No beta reader we die like mne, Past Relationship(s), Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22581241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonidas1754/pseuds/Leonidas1754
Summary: The dust clearing from Ultima's defeat gives the Warrior of Light an opportunity to try to talk down Lahabrea. While the Ascian obsesses over the past, the Warrior looks to the future. Even then, it's hard not to mourn what once was.
Relationships: One-Sided Warrior of Light/Thancred Waters, Past Lahabrea/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Kudos: 14





	We Loved, Once

**Author's Note:**

> I have so many FF14 wips and somehow THIS is what I finish first. What even. Honestly I have no idea what this is, I didn't really bother editing it (it doesn't help that Gdoc's new grammar checker marks a lot of things wrong that are clearly grammatically correct) because really I'm not sure what I WOULD edit. Hope you enjoy?

Leonidas panted heavily as he watched Gauis fall silent. The Ultima Weapon was no more, blessed be the gods, and the threat looming over Eorzea was gone. One threat, at least…

He looked up as the flicker of black settled in front of him. Lahabrea. Leonidas felt the tears sting the corner of his eyes. “I would ask why you’re doing this, but… we both know the answer to that.”

Lahabrea sneered. “So you do remember. How much, I wonder…”

“... Everything. The Calamity, Zodiark, Hydalen… You. Us. Please, Laha, it doesn’t have to be like this,” Leonidas croaked out.

“ _ Silence! _ ” Lahabrea hissed, making Leonidas flinch. “You speak this way under Hydalen’s influence. I do not know how you are here. In that… That  _ form _ . Whatever these twisted peoples call you.”

“A Miqo’te,” Leonidas said with a slight, wry smile. “I thought it’d be cute.”

Lahabrea’s borrowed eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t matter. I will not suffer to see you like this. To see this world like this! Hydalen must be burned out of the core of this world if we are to fix it, to fix everything! And I will. I will return it the way it was.” His voice lowered, a gentleness filling it now. “I can fix it, my love. I can fix  _ you _ . We can take things back to the way they were before. You gave so much for me. Let me help you.”

Leonidas’s eyes, vision blurred with tears, dropped to his bow. “You truly don’t understand, do you? What Zodiark and Hydalen truly are…”

“I am aware they are primals, if that is what you are referring to.” The gentleness was gone, replaced with exasperation.

“No. I mean… They are…” Leonidas sighed. “Never mind. You know I was never good at explaining things.” He stood up, blinking away the tears as he drew his bow. “Please. Give me back my friend.”

Lahabrea’s- no, Thancred’s- hands curled into fists. “Your friend? Please. I have seen the way you look, heard your fretting- You’re  _ fond _ of him. Even as you knew I was there, even as I  _ took him- _ ” He cut himself off with a growl of anger.

“Fond, I guess. Once upon a time you enjoyed my inability to hide my feelings. But that was then. We’ve both changed. I guess that’s the point, isn’t it. Maybe you could change the world back, maybe. But people… People don’t revert so easily. And you’re not the man I once loved. So please… Please, Lahabrea, if you truly loved me, if you still love me, give me back my friend. We don’t have to do this.”

“No. It is becoming increasingly clear that we  _ do _ . I will bring you back. I will fix you, rid Hydalen’s taint from you, and we  _ will _ be happy once more.” Lahabrea brought his hand over his face, letting the glyph shine once more.

Leonidas’s heart sank. He didn’t truly think it would work, sure, but he had hoped, some small part of him, that he could break through to Lahabrea. That maybe they could be happy again. That they could change. But both of them had changed too much already. Even if Leonidas told him of the truth of these primals, he likely wouldn’t listen, consumed by visions of the past as he was.

Leonidas lept back, strumming a few notes on his harp. A ballad, for those lost, for those yet to live. For those he had come to care for, even distantly, outside the broken walls of the Garlean facility and beyond. For Lahabrea.

Lahabrea’s magic pulsed around them, sending pools of darkness to flood their battleground. Leonidas leapt and twisted with reflexive agility as he fired his bow. Each arrow landed with practiced truth, but they only made Lahabrea grin under the glyph.

“Careful now. You wouldn’t want to kill your  _ dear friend _ , would you?” he sneered. “You have a choice, now, Leonidas- defeat me or save him!”

_ ‘Heed not the dark minion’s subtle words,’ _ came Hydalen’s voice. Whatever came, as long as he was careful, Leonidas could drive the Ascian back without killing Thancred.

Leonidas sent a soft prayer of thanks to Hydalen before charging forward, knowing it would be against what Lahabrea expected. His body burned from the night’s countless battles, but it was almost over. Almost, so close to being over. He kicked Lahabrea down, feeling Hydalen’s light fill him. He pinned the arrow into Lahabrea’s chest, vision sweeping them both away to light.

After what seemed to be only a few moments, Leonidas’s eyes opened. He was floating in the void, a huge, dark crystal looming in front of him. “... It’s all gone, isn’t it,” Leonidas asked softly, tears burning in the corners of his eyes.

**‘You accepted change. You accepted the gears of time moving forward rather than back.’**

“I know, I know.” He reached up, wiping the corners of his eyes. “It’s still hard to accept. Whatever I do… He will be there. A shade forever possessing my heart. You know, it’s funny. Thancred… They do look a bit similar, you know?”

The dark crystal in front of him did not answer. Leonidas didn’t expect it to anyway. His heart had been a torrent since the day of his revival. Since he was born with visions of a place he’d never seen, with knowledge he didn’t understand. It was only as he became older did he come to realize what it all meant, and recall what he had agreed to.

**‘A single soul can change the course.’**

Zodiark’s voice was deep, less able to be heard than to be felt through his entire body. It was what he’d said when he’d separated Leonidas’s soul from his aether. It was what he repeated now.

“I’m not alone, though. Not anymore. There are others, touched by light. I only fear… what they would do, if they knew I was touched by darkness as well.” Leonidas sighed. “Is Thancred okay..?”

After a moment’s pause, the vision of Zodiark faded. Leonidas awoke surrounded by flames and explosions. And a magitek armor, with the Ironworks logo painted on, looming over him. Leonidas gave a soft laugh. “Hey there. Good to see you again.”

He groaned as he struggled to his feet, looking around. And there was Thancred, lying on the broken ground. The crystal shattered, his chest still moving in effort for breath. Leonidas smiled in relief and crouched to lift him, grunting from the effort. He hauled Thancred over the back of the armor before riding it out, desperately trying to stay ahead of the flames.

After the battle was a whirl of people and congratulations and celebration. Relief that the threat was over. Awe for their Warrior of Light, their hero.

It was only at the bank of the Silvertear Falls where he finally got a moment to himself. Though he didn’t stay alone for long…

Leonidas kneeled at the edge of the lake, looking over his own reflection. A shadow, ephemeral, manifested behind him. “... You know, if it wasn’t for the ears and tail, you would look near exactly as you once did.”

“Like I said, I thought it was cute. It was my choice, you know. It always was. I only ever needed the chance.” Leonidas sighed. “That’s what this world needs, Lahabrea.”

Lahabrea scoffed. “A chance. This world is a broken facsimile of our home.”

Leonidas sighed, placing his hands in his lap. “I guess I’m just more inclined to adventure than you, Laha. I do miss it. I missed you. The way you used to be. But you’re… so much different now.”

“Aren’t you the one who has been advocating for these changes? You cannot defend the change of the world yet admonish the change in me,” he growled.

“I’m not. I’m only saying that you’ve changed. You’re not the man I loved. You’re not the man I sacrificed myself to protect. And if you’re going to continue to hurt people like this… Then I can’t love you. Not anymore.” he reached up, wiping the tear from the corner of his eye. 

“... So that’s it. You would give up everything, our world, our home,  _ us _ , for these… these creatures?” Lahabrea’s voice was filled with anger and pain.

Leonidas chuckled. “You forget, I’m one of these ‘creatures’ now. And I’m happy. It’s not easy, and there’s a lot I don’t like about this world, but I’m fighting to change that. To make it better. To do good.” He sighed, looking back over his shoulder. “I don’t know if you would understand that, though. So… goodbye, Lahabrea. You should go, before someone comes looking for me.”

They watched one another for a long moment before Lahabrea turned away. “So be it. Good bye.” And with that, he disappeared, into the dark portal and out of Leonidas’s life.

Leonidas turned back to the lake. He could see the tears slipping down his cheeks, and he sighed. From the start, he knew it couldn’t be like it used to. But it still hurt.

He wasn’t sure how long it was before he heard footsteps behind him, approaching from a short way off. Leonidas’s ears flicked back, listening for them. Medium sized, and making no effort to hide their approach, or rush. Leonidas put a hand on his bow, where it laid at his side, just in case.

“There you are. We were wondering where you’d gotten off to.”

Leonidas sighed, a touch relieved. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me like that, Thancred.”

Thancred chuckled, settling down on the bank beside Leonidas. “Sorry. It was advised I take a walk, to flex my legs and such. Figured I’d come find you, since you seemed to have disappeared.”

Leonidas raised a brow. “Here to Horizon is a long walk for someone who’s supposed to be resting.”

Thancred chuckled. “I got a chocobo porter for part of the way here, promise. When I heard you’d been seen around Mor Dhona, I hired a chocobo to the town and started from there.”

“Good.” Leonidas smiled softly. “Sorry if I worried everyone. I just needed some time alone.”

Thancred’s smile faded into a look of concern. “You’ve been crying. Are you alright?”

Leonidas wiped his face. “No more or less than usual. Don’t worry.”

“... Would you like to talk about it? I promise, I’m good at keeping secrets,” Thancred offered.

Leonidas considered it. But maybe talking with someone, even if he had to obscure some things, could help. “It happened a long time ago, really. But it still hurts. Some recent things have brought it back up.”

Thancred nodded. “Some wounds will always hurt, even if it’s less than it used to.”

Leonidas nodded. “I… used to have a lover. We were so close. And then… Our home was in danger. Everyone was scared. And the leaders, including my love, came up with a solution. I didn’t agree. Not at all.”

Thancred nodded along, listening intently. “You’ve never spoken of home before. At least, never truthfully. There has to be at least ten stories circulating Eorzea that were started by you yourself. And countless more by others,” he added with a soft laugh.

Leonidas chuckled. “There’s a reason for it. When… When it came time to implement their solution, I offered myself. Because I didn’t want the man I loved to be hurt. I wanted to protect him.”

“It’s understandable. We all want to protect those we love. And I’m not surprised to find you willing to sacrifice yourself. You never hesitated.”

Both fell quiet, Leonidas gazing at the water again. It felt strange, to be talking about it. But it also felt right. Like, with every word, bits of that weight were lifted from him. And Thancred didn’t press him for more, simply waiting.

Leonidas took a deep breath. “I came out the other side, obviously. I’m here now. But a lot has changed. That’s kind of the problem I guess. Not for me, but for him. To me, it’s… It’s new. And it sucks to lose everything I had before. But it’s also a new beginning. A new adventure. A new me.” Leonidas took his bow in his hands, running his fingers over the carefully polished wood. “... He changed too. Too much. He was obsessed with making things like they were before. And even if that’s possible… the cost would be too much. So… I lost him. Along with everything else.”

Thancred tilted his head, obviously trying to figure it out. Leonidas knew he couldn’t get it completely past Thancred as some regular story, he was no fool. But he also wouldn’t pry. “Sounds rough. I can understand why you wanted time alone. Sorry to interrupt that.”

“It’s ok. I think I needed to talk it out anyway.” Leonidas gently leaned into Thancred’s side. “Thank you for listening.”

“Of course… After all you’ve done, including saving me. Listening is the least I could do to repay you.” Thancred tentatively put an arm behind Leonidas, supporting him.

Leonidas felt his cheeks warm. “You don’t have to repay me. I never did this for the fame or whatever. Honestly, some days I wish I was still a no one. Many people know me, and I have a few friends, but… It’s still lonely.”

Thancred chuckled. “I’m sure it’ll work out for you. It always seems to, in the end.”

Leonidas felt the soft rumble of a purr in his chest. “I guess so. Thanks, Thancred. You always know what to say.” He closed his eyes, letting his cheek rest against Thancred’s shoulder to let himself rest.

Leonidas knew, if he continued on this path, he would have to face Lahabrea eventually. One way or another, they would have to fight. But for now, he could put it out of his mind, and enjoy Thancred’s presence and warmth, and the quiet of Silvertear. The rest could wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo hopeful ambiguous endings! Hope you enjoyed hahaha


End file.
